Quintin Riley

Quintin Theodore Petroc Molesworth Riley (27 October 1905 – 25 December 1980) was a British Arctic explorer who was awarded the Polar Medal.

Biography

Quintin Riley was born in 1905 in Little Petherick, Cornwall, the youngest son of the eminent Anglo-Catholic layman, Athelstan Riley. He was educated at Lancing College, where he met Gino Watkins (1907–1932). He continued his education at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he graduated in 1927.[1]

In 1930–31 Riley joined the British Arctic Air Route Expedition as a meteorologist. This expedition consisted in a team of fourteen men led by Watkins with the mission to survey and monitor weather conditions in the little explored east coast of Greenland.[2] Barely a year later Riley returned to Greenland with the smaller 1932-33 East Greenland Expedition, led by Watkins as well. He was one of the only three remaining team members following Watkin's death[3] at Tuttilik Fjord.[4]

Riley next joined the 1934-1937 British Graham Land Expedition led by his former Greenland teammate John Rymill. In 1938 Riley joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and became active in Norway and Iceland – among other places – during World War II. Towards the end of WW2, Riley was appointed Commanding Officer of No. 30 Commando – the brainchild of Commander Ian Fleming.[5]

Riley died in a road accident on Christmas Day 1980 while he was living in retirement in Essex.[6]

Honours

The Riley Glacier in Palmer Land, Antarctica, was named after him.

Further reading

• Riley, Jonathan P. (1989). From pole to pole, the life of Quentin Riley 1905-1980. Bluntisham: Bluntisham Books.
• Ridgway, John (1974). Gino Watkins. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-273136-4.
• Courtauld, Simon, The Watkins Boys, London, Michael Russell, 2010. ISBN 9780859553186.
• Scott, J.M., The Land That God Gave Cain, London, Chatto and Windus, 1933.

See also

• Arctic exploration
• Freddie Spencer Chapman

References

1. Quintin Riley obituary - Cambridge Journals
2. Glasby, Geoff. "Geological Society – Skaergaard, Everest and more..." www.geolsoc.org.uk. Archived from the original on 11 March 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2008.
3. East Greenland Expedition (Pan Am) 1932 -33
4. "Mr Watkins' Expedition to East Greenland, 1932–33". Polar Record. 1 (5). Cambridge University Press: 28–30. 1933. Bibcode:1933PoRec...1...28.. doi:10.1017/S0032247400030138. S2CID 251051734. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
5. Trewhela, Lee (23 February 2020). "Intrepid polar explorer from Cornwall who inspired James Bond". CornwallLive. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
6. Quintin Theodore Petroc Molesworth Riley; Biographical notes

External links

• Essex Chronicle - Quintin relished adventuring but he found 'normal' home life difficult
• Archives - Riley, British Arctic Air Route Expedition